Bambusa oldhamii
Giant Timber Bamboo
55' to 65' tall, 4" dia culms, hardy to 18° Fahrenheit
Giant Timber Bamboo is the most common large tropical bamboo grown in the USA. Its culms are straight and erect with relatively short branches. The leaves are large and wide. Mature plants lack lower branching allowing the large culms to display beautifully. Oldhamii bamboo produces the largest diameter culms of any bamboo grown in the Houston area. It is an erect, upright bamboo with a small "foot print". This allows the plant to be utilized in small urban landscapes where horizontal room is at a premium. This bamboo is a great specimen plant and an effective hedge for blocking second story windows and commercial buildings from view.
If you're looking for a non-invasive clumping tropical giant bamboo for your coastal Texas garden landscape, you've found it in Oldham's Giant Timber Bamboo. Small plants will grow quickly after planted with large mature culms forming in about three years. This is a beautiful bamboo, easy to maintain, and hardy in all but the most severe winters along the coast. For best growing conditions, keep your plants well mulched and watered. As your plants mature, trim out the smaller culms, leaving the largest newer culms for the most dramatic effect. Although lower branching with B. oldhamii is minimal on mature plants, you might want to trim any lower leaves and lower branches for the cleanest grove look.